Members will gather at the Jule bord, or Christmas table. Rumor has it a Julenissen, the Norwegian Christmas elf, may make an appearance bearing gifts. Often hymns and carols are sung at the event.

“Norwegian Santa is often portrayed as a troll,” Koskin said, displaying an odd-looking “baby” Santa with an unusually fat face and a white beard. “Our Santas are pretty ugly.

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But while at its best, Norwegian Christmas looked very cozy, the more sinister underbelly was that at its worst it seemed outright racist (case in point: Anne-Lise’s spice cabinet).

The traditional Norwegian Christmas is not one, but 20 days of celebration. Many of the basic Norwegian Christmas customs don’t differ from the average North Dakotans’ Christmas.